“I started yelling from the dugout,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s not what you want to see right there. It’s a natural reaction. He is so competitive. But you really need to get your hand out of the way. The ball was hit pretty good too. Just a chop-backer that had some speed and spin on it. That’s who he is.”

The ball clanged off the meat part of Price’s wrist toward shortstop Ben Zobrist, who fired to first for the out.

“We got away with one there,” third baseman Evan Longoria said. “It’s tough. As competitive as we all are, I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt.”

“It was just in the way. It didn’t hurt, so I’m fine,” Price said. “It was an out. I’m fine. I’ll be here tomorrow. It’s fine. “It wasn’t a line drive.”

The Rays can do without scares from their Cy Young Award winner in his first outing of the spring.

Otherwise, the left-hander gave up one hit, a walk and two stolen bases in his scoreless inning in the Rays’ rain-shortened 7-2 victory over an Astros’ split-squad in front of 3,062 fans Monday at Charlotte Sports Park.

“That’s the best I’ve felt since I’ve been here, so it’s good,” Price said. “That’s the most free my arm’s felt. It felt good.”

In line to be the Opening Day starter, the spring began in earnest Monday for Price.

“You’re getting back into the competitive mindset,” he said. “That’s the first competitive thing I’ve done since last year. I know this doesn’t mean a whole lot, but to me it does.”

He was self-critical for his walk, a four-pitch free pass no less, and his inability to throw strikes when needed.

Price realizes he has six more outings and will throw about 400 more pitches this spring

“I’ve got to get back to throwing strikes, like I did last year. It’s hard to throw strikes right now. That’s part of it,” he said. “Obviously, four-pitch walks are something you want to stay away from.

“So I’ve got quite a while to get where I was last year. For the most part I felt really good.”

Maddon wants Price to remain focused on the task at hand, not trying to “step up” his game with the departure of workhorse James Shields.

“I’m just hoping he goes out there and pitches without trying to meet a new level of expectations,” Maddon said. “Just go play. Just go play like he’s always done. My take is that’s the way it’s going to be, but there is always that threat that it will not be that way.

“I would just like to think through natural maturation that he’s been here a year longer. His experience level is high. Just go out and be yourself.”

So far, Maddon sees no changes.

“His theatrics in the dugout have been the same,” he said. “All that stuff has been the same. His work has been good. Just go play. Don’t try to beat last year. Just be good again. If he tries to be good, he’s going to have an outstanding year.”

In his fourth full season in the majors, Price went 20-5 last year with a 2.56 earned run average, setting team marks for wins and ERA.

That earned him a $10,112,500 contract for this season.

Eligible for arbitration the next two winters before becoming a free agent in 2006, it might be just a matter of time before Price prices himself out of Tampa Bay.

Thus, there is potential for more distractions.

“Only if we permit it to be,” Maddon said. “Only if we talk about it and give it legs and a life form. I don’t even think about stuff like that. I don’t even concern myself with things like that.

“One thing I’ve been preaching to the boys: Don’t be perfect, just be present. If you are in the present tense, everything will take care of itself. If you choose not to remain in the present and live in the future, you’re going to be disappointed and unhappy.”

Right now, Price is saying all the right things.

“I still play baseball. That’s what I’m here to do. That’s what I worry about,” he said. “I’m just going to get my work in and be ready every fifth day and take it from there.

“I don’t pay attention to it. I don’t care what other people say. I don’t care. I really don’t. It doesn’t bother me.”

Dennis Maffezzoli

Dennis Maffezzoli is the chief reporter for HT Preps. He can be reached by email or call (941) 315-0598.

Last modified: February 26, 2013
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